1.5/plugins/org.eclipse.epf.help.doc/html/variability.html - epf/org.eclipse.epf.composer - Git at Google

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 <meta name="abstract" content="Variability allows elements in one content package to influence or modify elements in other content packages without actually directly modifying the original content. Variability enables changes to the content while keeping the changes separate and optional." />
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 <title>Variability</title>
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 <body id="variability"><a name="variability"><!-- --></a>

 <h1 class="topictitle1">Variability</h1>
 <div><p>Variability allows elements in one content package to influence
 or modify elements in other content packages without actually directly modifying
 the original content. Variability enables changes to the content while keeping
 the changes separate and optional.</p>
 <p>Variability allows you to factor your method content and processes in interrelated
 units and to architect method content and processes in layers that extend
 each other with new capabilities. Variability also allows you to extend and
 tailor method content and processes you do not own and cannot directly modify,
 and to easily upgrade to newer versions by simply reapplying your personal
 changes to the upgrades.</p>
 <p>The use of variability affects two characteristics of a method element:
 its attributes and its relationships with other content elements. If an element
 allows variability, the specification is shown at the bottom of the element's
 description view.</p>
 <div class="p">For the purposes of variability, there are three groups of information
 for any element to be considered:<ul><li><strong>Attributes</strong> - pieces of data about an element such as Main Description.</li>
 <li><strong>Incoming Associations</strong> - associations to other elements where the
 association reference is held in the other element. In other words, the other
 element has references to the subject element.</li>
 <li><strong>Outgoing Associations</strong> - associations to other elements where the
 association reference is held in the subject element. In other words, the
 subject element has references to the other element.</li>
 </ul>
 In addition, associations can be one-to-one or one-to-many. See <a href="variabilityassociations.html#variabilityassociations">Variability Associations</a> for
 a full list of the associations for each type of element.</div>
 <div class="section"><h4 class="sectiontitle">Variability Type</h4><div class="p">Variability
 type defines the nature of how one element affects another element using variability.
 The variability types are:<ul><li><strong>Not Applicable</strong> - The element is a base element and does not affect
 another element through variability. This is the default value of an element's
 variability type.</li>
 </ul>
 <ul><li><strong><span class="keyword">Contributes</span></strong> -
 A contributing element adds to the base element. Contributes provides a way
 for elements to contribute their properties into their base element without
 directly changing any of its existing properties, such as in an additive fashion.
 The effect, after contribution, is that the base element is logically replaced
 with an element that combines the attributes and associations of the contributing
 element with the base element.</li>
 </ul>
 <ul><li><strong><span class="keyword">Replaces</span></strong> -
 A replacing element replaces parts of the base element. Replaces provides
 a way for an element to replace a base element without directly changing any
 of the base element's existing properties. This is, in most cases, used for
 method plug-ins that aim to replace specific content elements such as roles,
 tasks, or activities with either a completely new variant or to change the
 fundamental relationships of these elements. The effect of this, is that the
 base content element is logically replaced with the new replacing element
 to which all incoming associations still point as before, but which has potentially
 new attribute values and outgoing association properties.</li>
 </ul>
 <ul><li><strong><span class="keyword">Extends</span></strong> -
 An extending element inherits characteristics of the base element. Extension
 allows Method Plug-ins to easily reuse elements from a base plug-in by providing
 a kind of inheritance for the extending element. Attribute values and association
 instances are inherited from the "based-on" element to the extending element.
 The result is that the extending element has the same properties as the "based-on"
 element, but might define its own additions. Extends is not used to modify
 content of the base plug-in, but to provide the ability for the extending
 plug-in to define its own content which is a variant of content already defined.
 For example, a special version of a generic Review Record for a specific type
 of review. The effect of this is that the base element and any number of extending
 elements can be used side by side, but refer to each other through the extends
 relationship. Extends also provides the key mechanism for binding capability
 patterns to processes: A pattern is applied by defining an extends relationship
 from an activity of the applying processes to the capability pattern. The
 activity inherits association instances from the pattern and the pattern appears
 to be part of the resulting process after interpretation.</li>
 </ul>
 </div>
 </div>
 </div>
 <div><div class="relconcepts"><strong>Related concepts</strong><br />
 <div><a href="variabilityassociations.html#variabilityassociations">Variability Associations</a></div>
 <div><a href="contributes.html">Contributes</a></div>
 <div><a href="replace.html#replaces">Replaces</a></div>
 <div><a href="extends.html#extends">Extends</a></div>
 </div>
 </div>
 </body>
 </html>
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	<meta name="DC.Type" content="concept" />
	<meta name="DC.Title" content="Variability" />
	<meta name="abstract" content="Variability allows elements in one content package to influence or modify elements in other content packages without actually directly modifying the original content. Variability enables changes to the content while keeping the changes separate and optional." />
	<meta name="description" content="Variability allows elements in one content package to influence or modify elements in other content packages without actually directly modifying the original content. Variability enables changes to the content while keeping the changes separate and optional." />
	<meta name="DC.Relation" scheme="URI" content="variabilityassociations.html#variabilityassociations" />
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	All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
	are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
	which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
	http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
	Contributors:
	IBM Corporation - initial implementation
	-->
	<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="./ibmdita.css" />
	<title>Variability</title>
	</head>
	<body id="variability"><a name="variability"><!-- --></a>

	<h1 class="topictitle1">Variability</h1>
	<div><p>Variability allows elements in one content package to influence
	or modify elements in other content packages without actually directly modifying
	the original content. Variability enables changes to the content while keeping
	the changes separate and optional.</p>
	<p>Variability allows you to factor your method content and processes in interrelated
	units and to architect method content and processes in layers that extend
	each other with new capabilities. Variability also allows you to extend and
	tailor method content and processes you do not own and cannot directly modify,
	and to easily upgrade to newer versions by simply reapplying your personal
	changes to the upgrades.</p>
	<p>The use of variability affects two characteristics of a method element:
	its attributes and its relationships with other content elements. If an element
	allows variability, the specification is shown at the bottom of the element's
	description view.</p>
	<div class="p">For the purposes of variability, there are three groups of information
	for any element to be considered:<ul><li><strong>Attributes</strong> - pieces of data about an element such as Main Description.</li>
	<li><strong>Incoming Associations</strong> - associations to other elements where the
	association reference is held in the other element. In other words, the other
	element has references to the subject element.</li>
	<li><strong>Outgoing Associations</strong> - associations to other elements where the
	association reference is held in the subject element. In other words, the
	subject element has references to the other element.</li>
	</ul>
	In addition, associations can be one-to-one or one-to-many. See <a href="variabilityassociations.html#variabilityassociations">Variability Associations</a> for
	a full list of the associations for each type of element.</div>
	<div class="section"><h4 class="sectiontitle">Variability Type</h4><div class="p">Variability
	type defines the nature of how one element affects another element using variability.
	The variability types are:<ul><li><strong>Not Applicable</strong> - The element is a base element and does not affect
	another element through variability. This is the default value of an element's
	variability type.</li>
	</ul>
	<ul><li><strong><span class="keyword">Contributes</span></strong> -
	A contributing element adds to the base element. Contributes provides a way
	for elements to contribute their properties into their base element without
	directly changing any of its existing properties, such as in an additive fashion.
	The effect, after contribution, is that the base element is logically replaced
	with an element that combines the attributes and associations of the contributing
	element with the base element.</li>
	</ul>
	<ul><li><strong><span class="keyword">Replaces</span></strong> -
	A replacing element replaces parts of the base element. Replaces provides
	a way for an element to replace a base element without directly changing any
	of the base element's existing properties. This is, in most cases, used for
	method plug-ins that aim to replace specific content elements such as roles,
	tasks, or activities with either a completely new variant or to change the
	fundamental relationships of these elements. The effect of this, is that the
	base content element is logically replaced with the new replacing element
	to which all incoming associations still point as before, but which has potentially
	new attribute values and outgoing association properties.</li>
	</ul>
	<ul><li><strong><span class="keyword">Extends</span></strong> -
	An extending element inherits characteristics of the base element. Extension
	allows Method Plug-ins to easily reuse elements from a base plug-in by providing
	a kind of inheritance for the extending element. Attribute values and association
	instances are inherited from the "based-on" element to the extending element.
	The result is that the extending element has the same properties as the "based-on"
	element, but might define its own additions. Extends is not used to modify
	content of the base plug-in, but to provide the ability for the extending
	plug-in to define its own content which is a variant of content already defined.
	For example, a special version of a generic Review Record for a specific type
	of review. The effect of this is that the base element and any number of extending
	elements can be used side by side, but refer to each other through the extends
	relationship. Extends also provides the key mechanism for binding capability
	patterns to processes: A pattern is applied by defining an extends relationship
	from an activity of the applying processes to the capability pattern. The
	activity inherits association instances from the pattern and the pattern appears
	to be part of the resulting process after interpretation.</li>
	</ul>
	</div>
	</div>
	</div>
	<div><div class="relconcepts"><strong>Related concepts</strong><br />
	<div><a href="variabilityassociations.html#variabilityassociations">Variability Associations</a></div>
	<div><a href="contributes.html">Contributes</a></div>
	<div><a href="replace.html#replaces">Replaces</a></div>
	<div><a href="extends.html#extends">Extends</a></div>
	</div>
	</div>
	</body>
	</html>